What is Raiders’ Derek Carr concerned about this late in the season?

Wanna know why the Oakland Raiders are 4-6 and looking up in the AFC standings? Here are some numbers to chew on:

▪ Oakland ranks 21st among 32 NFL teams in offense. Last season, the Raiders’ were No. 6.

▪ The Raiders are 20th in points scored at 20.4 per game. In 2016, Oakland averaged 26.0.

It explains a lot why after a 12-4 season in 2016 put Oakland in the playoffs for the first time since 2002, the Raiders appear to face a must-win game Sunday with the Denver Broncos (3-7) at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said there’s more to the slide than the raw numbers show.

“It works both ways. If we get a three-and-out we hurt our defense. If there is a penalty or something crazy on defense, it gives less chances. This is a team game.

“We just understand, ‘Hey, sometimes it’s like that.’ Sometimes you’re not going to get as many chances. That’s on us as an offense with the fewer chances we’re getting, we have to score or we have to be more efficient.”

The Raiders haven’t had much of a short-field drive since Week 3 against Washington, when two Redskins turnovers in the red zone resulted in 10 points. Unfortunately, those were Oakland’s only scores in the 27-10 loss that precipitated the slide.

Since, the Raiders have started one drive in enemy territory – at the Chargers’ 49. The result was a three-and-out.

Last week in the 33-8 loss to New England, Oakland started nine of 10 meaningful drives at its own 25-yard line thanks to Patriots’ scores. The other? At the Raiders’ 13 after a punt.

“As a team, if we’re not going to have short field we gotta go down and make a long drive, you have to be more efficient,” Carr said. “That’s what we’re concerned about. Our defense is working their tail off and I know those turnovers come in bunches. As soon as they start coming … and they’re working hard and it’s a matter of time. When they start getting them, which they will, then hopefully we can capitalize when we get those short fields.”

This story was originally published November 23, 2017 at 2:00 PM with the headline "What is Raiders’ Derek Carr concerned about this late in the season?."